Strangers of Dune
by commanders2
Summary: When a faulty mass relay sends the Normandy to Arrakis the crew must adapt to a harsh enviroment
1. Faulty Relay

**Chapter 1: The Faulty Relay**

"Good morning, evening, and goodnight everyone; this is Diana Allers, reporting from London, Earth. Today is a very special day for all of us; with the mass relays fixed throughout most of the galaxy, many families are being reunited. And in just a few short hours, the Systems Alliance will be welcoming back the heroic crew of the Normandy…"

Everyone on the Normandy waited at their stations, ready to return to Earth; except for Tali and Liara, whose respective people picked them up to take them back to the Fleet and Ilium. And Commander Shepard. With the original CO and XO gone, Kaiden Alenko stood at the galaxy map in the CIC, representing Shepard, the Alliance, and humanity.

Joker's voice sounded through the com, "Everything is a go. Just waiting for the orders."

Kaiden responded, "Take us home, Joker." His voice carried over the com and radio- that would pick up the recordings of the ship and send to those listening across the galaxy- and sounded like another person. Someone confident and victorious, and with no trace of the weariness that he felt.

The Normandy SR2 sped up to FTL speed to reach the repaired mass relay. Off in the distance, the Reaper who fixed it waited for a new purpose. Nobody knew what happened on the Citadel the day that Commander Shepard died, but all of the Reapers immediately stopped their destruction once hit with the wave generated from the Crucible. After a few hours they began to repair mass relays across the galaxy.

The remnants of the old squad were gathered around the galaxy, watching as the small icon that was the Normandy sped towards a shimmering blue that was the repaired mass relay. When the ship finally reached the relay, the blue light seemed to grab it and hurled it through space. A thundering noise shuddered throughout the ship, vibrating the very foundations of the ship. Even more deafening than the noise was the unexpected chaos that built up a fraction of a second. Joker's voice could be heard yelling. The ship was accelerating at an alarming rate and the force of a planet's gravity pulled hard at everyone. Some people screamed; others had enough control to find some kind of cover or support.

Kaidan threw up a biotic barrier with a radius as wide and strong as he could muster, and those with armor shielded their bodies over the more vulnerable crew members. Time slowed down as they descended and Joker made a futile attempt to control the destination of their crash, refusing to lose the Normandy again, before everything sped back with a jolting crash into the base of a mountain.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

* * *

The crash could be heard across the city of Arrakeen and it was not long before a citadel guard came running to Stilgar with news of a ship crashing into the Shield Wall. It had crushed many homes built into the rock face. Stilgar listened silently until the man was finished before saying, "Have you not told Hama this?" Hama would have been responsible for the emergency clean up and search for survivors. Though a unsettling occurrence, Stilgar would not have been needed to be told.

The messenger nodded and held out a sealed slip of paper. "Yes, he instructed me to inform you of the details of the crash and give you this."

Stilgar took the paper and waited for messenger to leave before opening it. His eyes widened in shock at the words written. He immediately shredded the paper into small pieces and tucked them in a pocket of his cloak to be burned later. This needed to be dealt with now. He hurried through the palace corriders, pausing at the first guard he saw.

"You! Take an ornithopter to Sietch Tabr and tell Muad'Dib that I've requested his presence immediately. It is very urgent." The guard immediately ran past in the direction of the landing pads.

Stilgar continued to an underground passage that cut through the city. At the end of the tunnel he fixed his nose plugs in and put his facial mask on. He stepped out into the bright sun and oppressive; the crashed ship was not far. He could see a group of soldiers crowded around a small group of the ships inhabitants.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

* * *

Kaidan stood in the center of the group of survivors who were well enough to have made their way out of the crashed ship. His palm was held in front of his chest as a focal point for his biotic barrier and the crew members were carefully to stay in the bounds of the protection. It was the only thing between them and the angry men surrounding them. Most of the crew in the CIC deck survived with minor injuries. He wasn't sure how anyone on the deck 3 fared, and he was almost certain that no one below that was alive.

When they emerged from the ship a squadron of soldiers was waiting for them, staring intently with their strange blue within blue eyes. At the sight of them, the soldiers drew their weapons and Kaidan quickly drew his barrier. At the sight of it the native soldiers stiffened and lowered their guns. One man viciously drew a sword and attempted to pass through the barrier at an oddly slow pace.

A rough voice echoed through the crowd, "Get back!" The crowd shifted out of the way, their angry eyes still fixed on the Normandy's crew. A man walked through the part in the crowd, with the same blue within blue eyes and the same suit underneath his cloak like the others. He stopped just short of the biotic barrier.

"Come with me, they will not touch you." Though Kaidan wasn't certain he could trust him, he knew that at least was true by the weight of authority in the man's voice. Kaidan hesitated, not putting the barrier down until the soldiers lowered their weapons. The man ran at them and Kaidan moved to put his barrier back up. Before he was done recharging and able to put it back up the man reached them and pulled off his cloak. "Keep this on." He said roughly, shoving it at EDI

EDI carefully placed an unconscious Joker on the ground and put on the brown cloak and the man yanked the hood over her head. EDI picked Joker back up, cradling him closed to her chest. "Follow." The man said and led the way. The crew of the Normandy followed, surrounded by the soldiers. He led them down a wide tunnel where they walked silently in the dim light of a flying globe.

"Excuse me, but what did we do wrong?" Kaidan winced at his choice of words. "Besides crashing our ship in your city, but we meant no harm. We lost control of our ship; we mean no harm…" Kaidan trailed off. The man was clearly ignoring him.

Stilgar had the off-worlders secured in the dungeons under the citadel. He put the cloak that he had taken back from the thinking machine back on. Two guards were place at the entrance for each cell before he left to prepare for Muad'Dib's arrival.


	2. Muad'Dib

Paul Atreides exited the ornithopter with Chani. Both wore simple stillsuits as all Fremen who entered the desert did. He didn't know what to expect from Stilgar's urgent message, but he had left for the palace immediately. Chani walked alongside him, angry at their outing being interrupted. Her brows furrowed and her nostrils flared in ever increasing anger at the sight of Princess Irulan who waited by the entrance to the palace. The princess had eyes and ears everywhere and knew the minute it happened that Paul had received an urgent message requesting his attendance. No doubt she was eager to know what could be so important to interrupt the great Muad'Dib.

Stilgar shoved the double doors leading into the palace open. He bowed his head briefly and said "Usul, there is something you need to see." Stilgar's eyes shifted slightly at Irulan before meeting back at the Emperor's. "I do not think I should speak of it until we in are secure area." Irulan, who had no doubt noticed his suspicious glance, stiffened. Her mouth thinned before she quickly recovered. Paul noticed though. Clumsy.

Irulan spoke up, "I will accompany you to – "

"There will be no need, Irulan. Stilgar, Chani and I will go. The less people know of it the better." Stilgar nodded his approval at Paul's words and led the way to the dungeons, leaving Irulan behind. Down in the dungeons Stilgar explained all that he knew so far: a crash, a strange armored creature, a _thinking machine_. The only ones who knew were the recovery team (the guards of the dungeon cells having been chosen from the team).

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

* * *

Kaidan had been placed in a cell with EDI, Garrus and Joker (who still lay unconscious in EDI's arms). He had pleaded for medical aid for Joker and the rest of the injured crew but was firmly ignored by the stoic guards. The cell was barren, and they had received no food or even water. After a few hours footsteps sounded down the hall, and same man as before appeared in front of their cell. He and a woman flanked a young man – all with the blue within blue eyes. At the arrival of the group the guards lowered their heads, murmuring something.

Everyone (who was able) in the cell stood and waited. Their faces turned curiously –some angrily – towards the trio. The man from before pointed at Kaidan and said, "That was the only one who spoke, I think he is their leader."

"What did he say?" The young man said sharply.

The older one shook his head, "I do not know; he did not speak any language I could recognize."

Paul frowned and said in galach, "You understand what I'm saying?" Kaidan nodded. "Do you know who I am?" He shook his head. This was a surprise. Almost everyone in the known universe knew Paul's face and most worshipped him. "I am Muad'Dib. Emperor of the Known Universe." The man in the cell looked confused. Pauled asked him, "Who are you and why is that you are in company of a thinking machine and an unknown organism" He eyed Garrus and said, "I don't recognize that one's form."

Kaidan looked quizzically at EDI and Garrus, who looked surprised themselves to have been called out. He said, "My name is Major Kaidan Alenko, and –" Paul shot his hand up, cutting him off.

The emperor addressed the guards, "Leave. Now." Immediately all the guards in the vicinity left.

Muad'Dib looked stonily on the prisoners; his face masking the confusion that he felt. Whatever he expected it had not been this. The language that the crash survivor spoke had not been uttered in more than ten thousand years. And yet, this man spoke fluently. Paul asked Chani, "You understand him?" She nodded. Chani, being a reverend mother, had access to her past lives. Though her ancestral memories were not as extensive as the Kwisatz Haderach, she would still be able to recognize the old language.

Paul said, "Stilgar, bring my mother here."

"Do you want Alia here also?"

"No, I don't want her to know of this at all." Alia was too fanatic, she would likely have these people hunted down and killed after Paul's death. Paul wanted to hear their story and make his judgment, and he trusted only Chani and his mother to be discrete and carry out his wishes.

Stilgar later arrived with the Lady Jessica trailing behind him. She stopped at Paul's side and Stilgar went to take position behind the other three, but Paul said, "Thank you Stilgar, that will be all."

"But-!" A sharp glance from Paul cut him off. He had expected he would be allowed to observe the proceedings (not that he would be able to understand their strange language). Instead, he left with a dark look back at the prisoners.

Kaidan waited and watched as the guards left and a new woman was brought in. He was surprised at her appearance; her hair was set high on her head with elegant curls in an old-fashion style, her lips were full, and her long dress cinched into her slender waist; she barely looked a few years older than her supposed son.

Before he had long to think about it the Emperor said, "Now you will tell me your story."

Kaidan dove into his explanation. With how strange this whole situation appeared – the people, the planet, the technology – he assumed there was no point in mentioning the reapers. Instead, he skipped ahead to when the Normandy traveled through the relay. Their crashed was the result of a serious loss of control of their ship, and most assuredly not meant as an attack on this planet. They seemed especially attentive when Kaidan explained that EDI was part of their crew along with being the ship's AI.

After Kaidan's explanation, Chani stepped forward with a scowl etched across her face that seemed almost permanent. He didn't know which unnerved him more, the animosity emanating from this woman or the cold emotionless faces of the Emperor and his mother. "And you expect us to believe your stories of made up technology and that this _thing_ is of no threat?" She indicated to EDI, who drew her eyebrows together in annoyance.

"I _can _be a threat if – "

"EDI, stop." Kaidan cut her off, and hoped this didn't antagonize their captors more. He addressed the people outside of the cell, "Please, believe us. EDI is part of our crew, and she isn't malicious or untrustworthy. She _cares _about us." He indicated to the AI, who still held their flight lieutenant to her chest.

The hostile woman opened her mouth, but Muad'Dib cut her off before she could even speak. "He's telling the truth, Chani." She closed her mouth and stepped back; her blue-within-blue eyes still fierce and hostile.

Lady Jessica - who had that point had not said a word- laid her hand on her son's shoulder. He glanced at her and caught sight of her hands. She moved them quickly in the Atreides' secret language. _They have no ill intentions, so there's no need for them to be in the prison. Let me take them to an unused wing of the palace. _

Paul nodded and responded with silent hand signals, _Agreed. They could be useful. Discern what you can from them._ And without a word, Paul and Chani left the dungeons. A few minutes later the cells unlocked and the surviving crew of the Normandy stepped out cautiously. Lady Jessica addressed the twenty-some people who faced her. She chose her words carefully. These people were tired, confused and afraid; if she handled this right they would be more receptive to giving information, technology, and who knows what else. "I am Lady Jessica, the mother of the Emperor. You are under the Emperor's protection as you stay on Arrakis." She smiled welcomingly and continued, "Come, I will escort you to your own wing of the palace."


End file.
